Holiday Cheer
by Gnome Commander
Summary: Quatre's away for Christmas and Trowa comes to some realizations. One shot, light lime/lemon. Yaoi. For Dentelle Noir, holiday fic challenge.


Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I merely borrow them, play with them, and they return them exactly as I found them.

Author's Note: I challenged Dentelle_Noir (or did she challenge me?) to a fic trade for the holidays. We both managed to get swamped with the holiday crazy and therefore had to bump up the due date. Well, here is my half! I hope it doesn't suck.

Warnings: Light lime, swearing, yaoi.

Dedication: For Dentelle_Noir. Happy Holiday!

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A Little Holiday Cheer

by: Gnome Commander

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"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

_A Christmas Story_ could be heard playing on the television in the living room, the sound of it mingling with the clinking of dishes and running water in the small apartment that Trowa Barton occupied. The sleeves of his navy sweat were rolled up to his elbows as he immersed his forearms into the sudsy water and ran the sponge across the smooth surface of his dinner plate. Green eyes focused on the task at hand as his mind drifted, thinking of other things instead of washing dishes.

Like how quiet the apartment was.

Granted, the TV was on and there sounds of the show were filtering in throughout the dwelling. There was the sound of the neighbors below, their voices filtering up through the kitchen floor and the sound of their laughter made him smile slightly. They were obviously having a good time, enjoying the company of family and friends that they had invited over for a Christmas Eve dinner. He could hear the carolers singing outside, walking down the street and stopping at different buildings to sing and bring joy to others.

It wasn't the actual silence of the apartment that unnerved Trowa, but the lack of movement and a certain bubbly blond that always brought the feeling of home to the small dwelling. A small sigh escaped from the brunette as he turned the water off, grabbing a dish towel to begin drying the dishes that sat in the drying rack. Before Quatre, the holidays seemed like just another day to him and each one had always passed like the day before. None of it had ever really matter to the man with no name, with no memory of family or friends…the holiday season that had everyone making a fuss had simply been another blur of days linked together as he attempted to survive. Even as he trained with his Gundam, Christmas had no real meaning to him.

Yet that first Christmas with Quatre had changed everything. When the petite Sandrock pilot handed him a small colorfully wrapped box that contained an intricately and highly detailed porcelain lion, Trowa found warmth encircling his detached heart. Even in the middle of a horribly bloody war, his new friend had found reason to celebrate this joyful season and presented each of the pilots with small, but personal, gifts. A brief smile flickered across Trowa's face as he recalled the gifts the other pilots had received and their surprised reactions.

Wufei had been gifted with a rare box of tea that was often brewed by the wealthy in China and on L5, which caused the Chinese man to sputter a little and fall into a respectful bow to Quatre in reaction. For Duo, he had received a small painting of the Maxwell Church that Quatre had rendered from old photograph. It was small enough to fit in the inside pocket of Duo's shirt and it had caused the braided one's violet eyes to tear up, prompting Quatre to hug him tightly and murmuring comforting words into his ear. Lastly, Quatre had given Heero something that Trowa knew the former Gundam pilot carried on him to this day: a small, finely crafted knife that was discreet and would not be detected by scanners or a pat-down by security. Granted, they were quite illegal but Quatre seemed to know that Heero would appreciate the gift.

Trowa remembered watching all of them receive their gifts, the dumbfounded looks and Quatre had just smiled through it all, wishing them a very Merry Christmas. No one had gotten the Sandrock pilot anything and they all made to apologize…but Quatre would have none of it. He had stated that he had received the greatest gift of them all: their friendship. That moment had been broken by alarms going off in their safe house, sending all of them scrambling for their Gundams and rushing in to fight off the OZ soldiers who had stumbled across their hiding place.

A beeping from the communicator broke through his reverie and, taking the plate with him that he currently was rubbing dry, he walked to the video screen and hit the answer button. "Hello?"

Immediately, Cathy's face blinked into view and she smiled brightly at her little brother, waving at him. "Merry Christmas, Trowa!" She chirped, watching him as he walked back to the sink to continue to dry the utensils. "How's Earth?" She looked around, raising an eyebrow. "Where's Quatre?"

"Earth is fine," Trowa shrugged, looking up at the window to gaze outside and paused a moment. The snow that had been falling earlier had increased in size, large flakes dancing downwards and spinning slowly as they fell from the sky. "It's snowing right now, I suppose that the people will have the white Christmas they've been hoping for." He turned to lean against the counter, drying his hands on the dish towel and watched Cathy's face on the screen. "Quatre had to leave two days ago for an emergency on L4 and I just got in this morning from a Preventer's mission."

"So you're not spending Christmas together this year?" Cathy's smile fell away, a concerned look replacing it and a bit of sadness coming into her soft blue eyes. "Oh, Trowa…"

The lean man shrugged a little, folding the dish towel and setting it aside. "It's alright. We've spent the last six together, not counting that Mariemaia incident a few years ago. Besides, it's not everyday that Iria has a baby and he wanted to be there, even more so since she's about three weeks early." He smiled slightly and rubbed the back of his neck, "He should be back in a few days."

"I see," Cathy sighed and rubbed her forehead a little, "What about Duo and Heero? Why not go spend the evening with them?"

Trowa shook his head, "They're on L2 visiting Hilde and her husband." He shrugged a little, "And, before you suggest them, Sally and Wufei are in China until just after the Chinese New Year to help establish a Preventer's base there." He chuckled a little and walked to the communicator. "I'm a big boy, Cathy. I can spend Christmas by myself just fine."

Catherine's lips pursed slightly, her brow furrowing as she looked him up and down from the other side of the link on colony L3. She pushed her auburn hair back from her face with and elegant hand, then promptly crossing her arms beneath her chest. Disapproval of the fact that her little brother was spending Christmas alone was obvious in her body language, but after a moment she let out a small sigh as she conceded defeat. "Alright," She stated and shook her head, "I don't like it, but you know damn well I can't do anything from here. If I was on Earth—"

"You would be here, driving me nuts." Trowa finished her sentence, earning him another glared. He merely gave her a slight smirk and shrugged at her. There was some crashing in the background, laughter and frantic apologies coming from the hall behind her and he watched Cathy look over her shoulder. "Sounds like you're having a party. Go on back to them."

"Just the clowns and a new acrobat from the circus," She explained, looking back to him. "Merry Christmas, Trowa."

"Merry Christmas, Catherine, and have a good night." Trowa stated, continuing to smile until the screen went blank. Once the link ended, he let out a slow sigh and let the tension go in his shoulders that he hadn't even realized was there. He turned away, walking out of the kitchen and shut the lights off, running a hand through his long bangs.

He had omitted the information that he was a little lonely and missing Quatre terribly, but he wouldn't have admitted that to Cathy. She would have insisted on getting on a shuttle and flying down there at that moment, though she wouldn't have arrived until tomorrow. Or she would have called in a favor to Relena… that thought caused Trowa to shudder slightly. He didn't think he could handle the Former Queen of the World without Quatre there; he wasn't exactly a social butterfly in the way she was.

He sat down on the couch, turning off the television before stretching out on the couch. The tree sparkled in the corner, the multi-colored lights casting a beautiful glow around the living room and the holiday garland that hung around the large window twinkled merrily. Beyond the slightly frosted window, Trowa's emerald eyes gazed out at the snow that started to cover the city in a blanket of fluffy white. A slight pang lanced through his chest, knowing that his little angel adored the snow.

A memory came to mind of a snowstorm, nearly three years ago now. It made Trowa smile as he recalled the way Quatre had lit up at waking up to a white, fluffy cloak of snow that was draped over upper Manhattan. The petite man had dragged his tall lover from the warmth of their bed and threw jeans and his coat at him, the blond already dressed before Trowa could even put together a coherent question as to what was happening. Quatre exuberantly dragged him down from the third story loft and out into the streets below, then to the park across the street. Trowa could only stare as his lover promptly tossed himself into the snow, making a snow angel.

It progressed down hill from there as the blond lobbed snowballs at the taller man, throwing them back and forth until they were both shivering. Their teeth chattered as they laughed, their fingers and noses red from the frigid temperatures. They had stumbled back inside where Trowa dragged him to the fireplace and pushed him down, promptly finding a rather pleasurable way to warm them both up. The echo of Quatre crying his name in pleasure and jerked with each sharp thrust sent a burst of heat directly to his groin, causing a groan of frustration to come from the tall brunette.

"Damn it all," He hissed, standing and shoving a hand through his hair in irritation. A restlessness settled into his bones, his blood continuing to heat as images flickered through his mind's eye of Quatre between his knees and sucking him off; Quatre slowly impaling himself on his hardened shaft; Quatre looking over his shoulder and tugging on his own cock as Trowa slammed into him from behind. Quatre, Quatre, _Quatre._

A snarl came from him as Trowa stalked to the coat closet, ripping the door open and reaching in to grab his gray wool coat. His grabbed his keys as he shoved his arms into the sleeves, then angrily stuff his feet into his boots and stalked out the door, slamming it behind him. He descended the stairs at a rapid rate, the cadence of his footsteps echoing off the walls as he did so and his burst out the front door. The frigid wind penetrated his coat despite the thickness of it and the sting of snow flake assaulted his face as he started stalking down the street like an angry panther. He needed to cool both his body and his temper or he'd never get any sleep tonight.

He shoved his hands into his pockets he walked, sighing slightly as he allowed his feet to take them where they would. Trowa merely looked straight ahead, glancing at the shops as he passed them every now and then. Most were closed by now, considering it was Christmas Eve. Small places were closed but the lights were on, considering that there were office parties going on within. There were bars here and there but nothing like that really interested Trowa, considering he would have to deal with a belligerent drunkard or two. They didn't exactly like his silence while they were singing horrifically slurred carols.

He merely continued to walk, breathing in the fresh night air and allowing the cold to seep into his limbs. He lost track of how many blocks he walked, merely enjoying the quiet snowfall and watching cars pass by. Time passed by, the snow falling faster and the wind caused it to swirl about almost like a cyclone. It hissed across the roofs of the buildings around him, pelting him repeatedly in the face as his trek continued. He didn't know how much time had passed before he came to one of the large Catholic cathedrals several blocks away from the apartment he shared with his lover.

It was here that he paused, looking up at the massive mortar and brick building. There were statues of different angels and religious figures, the beautiful stained glass extended high into the arches and he stared at it for a long moment. Even from out on the street, the sound of the choir and the church's patrons could be heard as their voices echoed heavenward. He could barely make out the lyrics, yet it sounded like 'O Holy Night' if he wracked his brain for the melody. The only reason why he knew it was from that movie about a kid having to defend his home from thieves, though the name of the film escaped him at the moment.

He shivered a little, the affects of the cold no longer helpful but detrimental on his body. Trowa could no longer feel his fingers or toes, the tip of his nose burned and he was pretty sure his ears were starting to get frost bitten. However, he couldn't stop his gaze slowly roving over the architectural design of the beautiful cathedral. Despite the fact that they were in such an age of technology that Gundams and Mobile Suits could be made…people still turned to something so ancient for comfort.

Trowa turned and sighed, his breath trailing behind him in a long cloud as he headed for home. Religion was such a foreign thing to him. Quatre still held to his beliefs of Mohammad and the Quran, though it was tenuous at best. In fact, Duo had asked about it one day and the former Sandrock pilot had just shrugged. It may have been the fact that they had all seen the horrors of the world as adolescents and that their innocence had been taken away at such a young age, causing them to question religion as a whole. After all, how could a Father watch his supposed children destroy each other without calling some sort of reckoning?

It had been surprising to hear his lover say that, the blond usually being the most positive out of the group. Wufei mentioned something about death and rebirth for his point of view and Trowa had nodded in agreement, finding it easier to believe that everything was just a cycle. That didn't mean he didn't respect religion, though. It did have a powerful effect on a great many people. He just didn't know what to believe.

There were very few cars on the street now, the snow having encouraged many to finally stay in or go home. There were even fewer people, Trowa had to note. He shivered, wrapping his arms around himself as he continued on. His thoughts turned to Quatre, honestly surprised that he hadn't called. Rashid had been laid up in the hospital with pneumonia and the heir to Winner Enterprises had to immediately leave to take over the running of the company. Sure, he managed a great deal of the company from a distance while aiding the Preventers with financial and political sway, but Rashid handled the day-to-day running of the company and the meetings.

Quatre had immediately left for L4, all the while profusely apologizing to Trowa for leaving him alone on Christmas via the communicator.

Trowa had understood, of course, and it had given him time to extend his stay in Germany where he had been stationed for a small mission. There had been a small uprising and he had gone to douse the fire, the extended time gave him an opportunity to make sure all the loose ends were tied off completely. Instead of being scheduled to return three or four days before the holiday, he instead returned the morning before.

Upon reaching home, he punched in his security number at the front door before proceeding up the stairs towards his warm and empty apartment. He brushed the snow from his brunette bangs, frowning a little at how matted down they looked from the icy flakes. He ran his fingers through them as he reached the stairs, turning the corner and reaching for his keys when something gave him pause. Emerald eyes narrowed and something in him stirred that hadn't done so since the war, causing him to shift and press himself against the wall. Despite the war being long over, he and the other Gundam pilots regularly kept their fighting skills sharp while in the Preventors. It was a wide known fact that they were the teenaged boys that piloted some of the deadliest mobile suits throughout the war and they all were sure that there were some sore losers who would love to see the lot of them dead.

As Trowa suspected, the door to his apartment was ajar and the welcome mat in front of it was misplaced, causing him to slowly and stealthily creep towards the entrance to his home. He glanced around the corner, finding the interior dark and silent, save for a soft rustling within. Trowa breathed slowly and quietly, adrenaline kicking through his veins and rapidly began to run tactics through his mind as he caught the distinct noise of someone bumping into a piece of furniture and hissing in pain.

He slid into his home and carefully shut the door behind him, flipping the latch so that the intruder wouldn't have an escape route. The former Gundam pilot moved steadily across the floor, hearing the sound of movement come from the living room and he glanced around the corner. The figure of a person was bulky but short, rustling around as they searched for something and cursed faintly. The green eyed man waited silently, watching for the chance to take down his prey like the predator he was. Then, almost as if the intruder felt himself being watched, they froze and then slowly started to straighten.

Trowa struck then, tackling the slight figure to the ground and they tussled across the floor, rolling until he had the upper hand. The acrobat slammed the smaller figure to the wooden floor and snarled lowly, "Who are you?" He demanded, his fore arm across the man's neck, "What are you doing here?"

The fireplace flickered on, the man's hand wrapped around the remote for the electric starter and the flickering flames cast its light across the delicate features of Quatre's face. Trowa froze, staring down at his little lover before straightening to look down at him. "Oh my God," He whispered.

The little blond angel coughed slightly now that the pressure was off his windpipe, unable to help but smile up at Trowa crookedly. "S-Surprise?" He lifted a hand and rubbed at his throat a bit, grimacing. "That wasn't the reaction I expected, love."

Trowa continued to stare down in shock at the slender man beneath him, emerald eyes wide in disbelief. "But…how? What are you doing here? I mean, holy shit." He lowered his head, pressing his forehead to Quatre's and closed his eyes. "I am so sorry, little one."

Arms slid around Trowa's torso and the Arabic man hugged his lover tightly, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "Hey, it's alright. It happens to all of us, remember?" Between the night terrors that shook both of them to the core at times, this wasn't their first scuffle when one of them mistook the other for an enemy. They always caught themselves, as if something primal within them recognized their other half, before using deadly force. "I would have been home sooner, but the shuttle had been delayed because of the snow. I had to walk back some of the way because the stupid car—mmph!" He was cut off sharply by a kiss, his eyes drifting close as their lips melted together briefly.

Trowa rolled carefully to the side and pulled Quatre to his chest, burying his nose in the blond's hair and inhaled the distinct scent that was uniquely his. Happiness shivered and swelled in his heart, the sense of _right_ shifting and settling into their surroundings overwhelming him as his leaned in to quiet Quatre with a kiss. At once, his lover responded and their lips melded together, parting and allowing their tongues to dance as they welcomed one another home.

Seconds turned into minutes as they lay on the carpet in front of the fire, slowly divesting each other of their clothing and desire flared to life. After being apart even for such a few short days, the need that they had for one another blazed as hot as the fire crackling merrily near by and the minutes began to stretch and draw out. The sounds that filled the room became an intimate melody; a sharp hiss as chilled hands explored Quatre's chest, the velvet swipe of Quatre's tongue sliding over Trowa's hip made the brunette mutter something along the lines of "cock tease".

They exchanged heated kisses and teasing touches, their hands and mouths seeking ways to draw a needy moan or a sharp exclamation from one another. It was only when Trowa slid himself deep into Quatre's body did he realize that Christmas wouldn't have been the same without his angel that. He found that he had lied to himself, thinking he would be okay if he was alone for the holiday. He only realized this as he looked down at Quatre, meeting his lover's aquamarine gaze and watching it darken as the man adjusted to the breaching of his body. Then, all rational thinking was wiped away as Trowa thrust sharply forward.

Minutes turned into hours as they loved one another, soft cries and pleasure filled groans echoing in their small living room as they made love in front of the fire. They both strove for the plateau of pleasure, their climaxes washing over them nearly in tandem before they both collapsed on the floor. The lovers curled around each other as sweat dried on their bodies, an aftershock rippling through them now and then. They were sated for now, but there was still a long night ahead.

And Trowa planned to use it to the best of his abilities.

"Welcome home, little one." He murmured, kissing his lover's forehead gently as Quatre trailed his fingers down his chest. His emerald eyes closed, reveling in his lover's presence. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Trowa." Quatre murmured, sighing a little and settling in closer to him. Silence prevailed in the room, only interrupted by soft kisses and the crackling fire.

Just as things started to turn interesting, the two of them gearing up for another bout of lovemaking, something caused Trowa to pause. There was something amiss and he broke off from a loving kiss to look down at Quatre. "Uhm, Quatre…?"

"Hmm?"

"Where's the car?"

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Fin.

A/N: Please review! Thanks! Happy Holidays, everyone!


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